For many years mechanical devices have been used for driving fasteners in the construction trades. For instance, stapling guns have been used for driving staples and nail drivers have been used for driving nails. These devices project the fastener with considerable force and, in the absence of a work surface, the fasteners fly through the air considerable distances and with considerable force. Since all such fasteners are provided with sharp ends, the fastener driver becomes a very dangerous piece of equipment. In the construction trades, however, the workers are aware of these dangers and tend to be careful in handling such equipment, because it is their livelihood. Stapling guns and nail drivers are now being used, however, by homeowners in performing repairs around their houses and, therefore, the fastener driver becomes available to children. Because they are often shaped to resemble guns, they become an attractive nuisance so far as children are concerned. The danger to themselves and to other children increases as such devices become more readily accessible to children and as the children become more used to them. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a fastener driver which is not capable of projecting the fastener through the air.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a fastener driver which is only operative to drive fasteners when it is pressed against a work surface.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a driver for fasteners wherein the fasteners are carried in a cartridge but are inhibited from entering the driving area unless the fastener-emitting exit is pressed against a work surface.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a fastener driver in which the fasteners are arranged seriatim, so as to be advanced one by one to a driving position, and wherein the advance is inhibited unless the driver is in a safe condition.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.